I had the recent opportunity to revisit Galloway Stud at Woburn, and I must say, it was an extraordinary experience. The stud is well-known for producing top-quality foals for the bloodstock industry, and the quality of the foals I saw were outstanding.
One of the things that impressed me the most was the IgG counts – a measure of the number of antibodies in the foal’s blood that they have absorbed from the mare’s colostrum. The counts were exceptionally high, which is a clear indication of the quality of the foals.
During my visit, I saw a mare that had been brought to the Stud in November, and her five-day-old foal wasn’t thriving as well as the in-house foals. It was evident that the mare’s diet was not as nutritious as what the Stud provided, which had a significant impact on the foal’s constitution and ability to thrive.
The foals produced by Galloway Stud have generated a lot of interest from the market. The Stud is experiencing an unprecedented level of demand. Newmarket vets as well as another stud organisation have visited the Stud to understand how they are producing such high-quality foals.
Testament to amazing IgG scores from healthy mare and foal – only two days old! Superb conformation and demeanour as mare healthy enough to nurture a very healthy foal.
Techniques
I’ve worked with Will, the foreman at Galloway Stud, for many years, and it was fantastic to learn more about the techniques they use to produce healthy foals. During our conversation, we discussed the importance of genetics and environment in producing healthy foals, and we were both impressed by the IgG score of 21.2 for a 21-year-old mare, Antebellum.
Will showed me a mare that had produced a filly that was sold for an impressive £115,000. The mare had been at Galloway Stud for four years and consistently produced strong animals. It was also clear that the team at Galloway had a wealth of knowledge and expertise in producing high-quality foals.
We also discussed the role of colostrum in building up the immune system of the foals, and it was fascinating to learn more about the importance of early nourishment for the health of the foals. The calm demeanour of the foals was striking, and it was evident that they were thriving under the care of the Galloway team.
To produce high-quality foals, Galloway Stud focuses on ensuring the mares are in optimal condition during and after pregnancy. This includes providing them with nutrient-rich diets and producing colostrum-laden milk for their foals. The Stud’s approach to nutrition is grounded in the horse’s evolutionary needs, with a focus on providing high-quality grass to meet their nutritional needs efficiently and cost-effectively.
I was thrilled to see how the dedication to providing nutritious grass and caring for the animals translated into such exceptional quality foals.
Learn more about our work in helping Galloway Stud with the management strategy of its sward.
Mare and foal – a testament to management strategy of sward as well as animal husbandry